Eastern Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981
October 2019
Delivering daily news at trucknews.com
Volume 39, Issue 9
Pages 14-15
Pages 20-21
Pages 28-29
Page 50
Behind the curtain
A fresh start
A giant success
Style and safety
Navistar says it’s focused on the future and becoming more customer-centric.
A Canadian retailer is rapidly growing its fleet to keep up with the brand’s success.
Top fleet considerations for wheel spec’ing and maintenance.
Truck News takes you behind the scenes of Best Fleets to Drive For.
Mixed signals
RET ADVERTAIL ISING P AGES 51 -57
Freight market volatility has carriers on edge TORONTO, ONTARIO Those watching key indicators that reflect the health of the trucking industry may be forgiven for being unsure of what to make of the latest data. Truck and trailer orders have fallen sharply, reflecting a reluctance among fleets to add new equipment, despite the opening of 2020 orderbooks. Class 8 truck orders in August were 80% down year-over-year, according to the latest data from industry forecaster FTR. Orders totaled 10,400 units, and have been averaging 11,000 units per month since May. FTR says OEMs have built through much of the backlog created by record orders in 2018, and that fleets are in no hurry to order for 2020 deliveries. FTR expects large fleets to place their orders for 2020 in the fourth quarter, anticipating ample build slots. “The Class 8 market is at a turning point,” said Don Ake, vice-president, commercial vehicles with FTR. “The huge orders in 2018 supported the robust production last year and through much of 2019. Now the Continued on page 9
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Careers: 36-49 Ad Index: 59
Drivers will have more flexibility in how they manage their sleeper berth time, if the proposed hours-of-service rules are passed.
A long time coming Proposed changes to U.S. hours-of-service rules announced WASHINGTON, D.C. Much-anticipated changes to the U.S. hours-of-service (HoS) rules were proposed by the U.S Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in mid-August. Five key provisions are being proposed. They are: • Tying the 30-minute break requirement to eight hours of driving time without an interruption for at least 30 minutes, and allowing the break to be satisfied by a driver using on-duty, not driving status, rather than off-duty. • Modifying the sleeper berth exception to allow drivers to split their required 10 hours off duty into two periods: one period of at least seven consecutive hours in the sleeper berth and the other period of not less than two consecutive hours, either off duty or in the sleeper berth. Neither period would count against the driver’s 14-hour driving window. • Allowing one off-duty break of at least 30 minutes, but more than three hours, that would pause a truck driver’s 14-hour driving window, provided the driver
takes 10 consecutive hours off-duty at the end of the work shift. • Modifying the adverse driving conditions exception by extending by two hours the maximum window during which driving is permitted. • Changing the short-haul exception available to certain commercial drivers by lengthening the driver’s maximum on-duty period from 12 to 14 hours and extending the distance limit which the driver may operate from 100 air miles to 150 air miles. The changes, according to the FMCSA, will enhance safety and save the U.S. economy US$274 million. They represent the first major HoS overhaul in 15 years. “This proposed rule seeks to enhance safety by giving America’s commercial drivers more flexibility while maintaining the safety limits on driving time,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao. “FMCSA wants drivers and all commercial motor vehicle (CMV) stakeholders to share their thoughts and opinions on the proposed changes to hours-of-service rules that we are putting forward today. We listened directly Continued on page 10